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About

How much of Earth's atmosphere must we contaminate? How much of our lands and waters must we pollute? How much of our resources must we plunder, deplete? How many species must we ravage, despoil, extinguish? How many people must we degrade, deprive, destroy with toxic wastes and wars, before we learn to respect one another, to live in harmony on this planet, our Home?
"All living beings are brothers and sisters, nourished from the same source of life.." -- Thich Nhat Hanh

About Me

I was born in Eastern Europe during the height of the
Stalinist regime's reign of terror. Thus, I know what it is like to live under a repressive, dictatorial regime. The fear and terror -- as dissident friends and family members were tortured, imprisoned and some were executed -- is indelibly etched in my memory. That is the reason I have always been an ardent advocate of freedom, social justice, civil liberties, human rights and a voice of peace. The way I see it, war is morally wrong, regardless of who wages it, for whatever reason. No piece of land or commodity is worth the sacrifice of one human life. We are all members of the same race - the "human race" - and must learn to coexist peacefully. Our planet cannot sustain us much longer if we do not stop our wars, nukes, polluting, deforestation, and the wasteful, gluttonous consumption and depletion of our natural resources.

âA satisfyingly virulent, comical, absurd, deeply grieving true portrait of how things work today in the sleek factories of conglomerate book producers... A skillful novel of manners -- of very bad mannersâ

Friday, July 01, 2005

Published on Friday, July 1, 2005 by TomDispatch.com They Died for Their Country by Paul Rogat Loeb

"They died for their country," read the white granite memorial in the Concord, Massachusetts town square, honoring local men who died in the Civil War. Newer headstones mourned Concord men who gave their lives in other wars -- practically every war America has fought -- belying the recent baiting of quintessentially blue-state Massachusetts as a place whose citizens lack patriotism. I was in town, on the first anniversary of Sept 11, speaking at a local church that had lost one of its most active members on a hijacked plane, a man named Al Filipov. It was clear then -- and clearer now -- that these honored dead would not be our nation's last. I thought of Concord when George Bush urged us, this past Memorial Day, to redeem the sacrifices of our soldiers in Iraq by "completing the mission for which they gave their lives." But what if this mission (which will, of course, claim more lives) itself is questionable, and founded on a basis of lies?

Forty-eight Concord men died in the Civil War, which the memorial called "the War of the Rebellion." They indeed died for their country, turning the tide at battles like Gettysburg and helping end the brutal oppression of slavery. The World War II vets, listed on a nearby plaque, helped preserve the freedom of America -- and the world. We owe a profound debt to the farmers and artisans who won our freedom in America's Revolution, and whose sacrifices were marked, a few miles away, with an exhibit on the battles of Lexington and Concord. It's easy for those who have lived through too many dubious wars to forget the power of their sacrifices.

But not all the Concord deaths served such lofty purposes. Three Concord men died "in the service of their country" during the Spanish-American war. This war of empire took 600,000 lives alone in our subsequent occupation of the Philippines and our suppression of the first Asian republic, prompting Mark Twain to suggest that the Filipinos adopt a modified version of our flag "with the white stripes painted black and the stars replaced by the skull and cross-bones." Five Concord men died in Vietnam joining 58,000 other Americans, one to two million Vietnamese, and four million who died after we overthrew a long-neutral Cambodian government and paved the way for Pol Pot.. One died in our 1965 invasion of the Dominican Republic, which helped prevent the return of a democratically elected president and installed a corrupt oligarch who would rule for nearly three decades.

The American soldiers who died in these wars were as brave as their compatriots in the Civil War or World War II. They undoubtedly had as much integrity in their personal lives. But their courage and sacrifice made the world neither safer nor freer. Since my visit to Concord, the memorial has added another name, a 25-year-old first lieutenant, killed a month after our forces rolled into Iraq in March of 2003, around the time that Bush spoke under that "mission accomplished" banner on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

It's tempting to assume that all the sacrifices of our soldiers are worthwhile. But mere courage guarantees no inherent moral rightness: German and Japanese soldiers fought bravely in World War II. The September 11 hijackers were willing to surrender their lives to murder 3,000 innocent people, including Al Filipov, whose widow would initiate the peace and justice lecture series where I spoke. Even when we're told our soldiers are fighting for freedom, we have to look at the broadest consequences of their actions. For instance, an international Pew Center survey right after our Iraqi invasion found that we'd so embittered the Islamic world that majorities to near-majorities in countries like Pakistan, Indonesia and Egypt now said they trusted Osama bin Laden "to do the right thing in world affairs." They now viewed him as a hero, not a murderer.

Unfortunately, those who initiated the Iraq war now use each additional American death to justify the need to stay. If we challenge this war, we're told we're being disloyal to the troops, undermining their resolve and disdaining their sacrifices. We heard this as well during Vietnam, after which the media rewrote the history of the antiwar movement to imply, through images like protestors spitting on soldiers, that those working to bring the troops home were their enemies.

By time the first Gulf War began, these images were omnipresent. Even young anti-war activists told me, "We won't spit on the soldiers this time." Yet when sociologists Jerry Starr and Richard Flacks, who worked extensively with Vietnam vets, tried to track down the story, they couldn't find a single incident of a vet who said he was actually spat upon. And when syndicated columnist Bob Greene invited responses on the subject in a column that reached 200 papers, he found only a handful.

The power of such useful myths for those who send our sons and daughters to war may erode as military families and veterans play an increasingly visible role in the current antiwar movement, though veterans and families played a key part in the Vietnam-era peace movement as well. Every time I've marched against this war, I've ended up next to someone carrying a picture of a relative in uniform, a son or brother, husband, nephew, or niece, often someone facing the involuntary servitude of being unable to leave the military long after his or her original service term had expired. But unless we can convince our fellow citizens to separate the lives of the soldiers from the policies that place them in harm's way, they'll continue to be held hostage to the choices of leaders who are insulated from the human costs.

So let's remember the debt we owe to those who have died for freedom as well as those who risk and sacrifice in the name of protecting us all. But not all wartime deaths advance human dignity, and not all sacrifices are worthwhile. If those who die for a worthy cause are indeed heroes to be honored, those who send our brave young men and women to die in wars of empire and dominion squander their courage, their trust, and ultimately their lives. To use their losses to justify further needless deaths is to betray the best of what the soldiers enlist to protect. For not all of America's wars have been worth dying in, nor are those we now fight.

Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, winner of the Nautilus Award for best social change book of last year.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Deliver on human rights: Amnesty's appeal to the UK presidency of the EUr

News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International

AI Index: IOR 61/016/2005 (Public)28 June 2005

Brussels 28 June 2005) A strong human rights agenda can help the European Union overcome its political and institutional crisis and reaffirm the EU as a Union of values, says Amnesty International in its recommendations to the UK Presidency of the EU.

Amnesty International says its human rights proposals to the UK Presidency, released today in Brussels and London, add up to an ambitious program that would strengthen the EU’s leading role on human rights both at home and abroad.

Amnesty International EU Office Director Dick Oosting said: "It is clear that the current EU crisis stems from a lack of vision of what the EU is actually for. By actively promoting the protection of human rights, the EU can project a convincing sense of purpose not only to its citizens but to the rest of the world. This will be a real test for the UK Presidency – to make the EU deliver on a strong human rights agenda."

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:"The UK should use its presidency to put the EU’s words into practice when it comes to human rights. "And it must lead the EU by example – not just in areas where we have seen positive developments, such as arms control and freedom of expression, but also closer to home on issues like counter-terrorism and asylum."

In its human rights recommendations, Amnesty International points out how the EU has taken a number of measures to strengthen its human rights capability over the past year. However, Amnesty’s assessment criticises the EU’s approach on issues such as counter-terrorism and asylum.

Amnesty International’s ten proposals for the UK Presidency of the EU:

At home:1. Make the EU Fundamental Rights Agency the cornerstone of a proper fundamental rights order including full compliance by Member States;2. Examine the threats to the balance between security and human rights and redress the human rights deficit in the EU’s counter-terrorism strategy;3. Counter practices of unlawful detention and removal of foreign nationals from the EU;4. Ensure scrupulous observance of the international protection obligations when developing the external dimension of asylum and immigration policies;5. Promote the early ratification and implementation of the European Convention Against Trafficking.

In the world:6. Press for more active implementation of the EU’s human rights foreign policy guidelines;7. Reaffirm unequivocally the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment;8. Press for a binding international Arms Trade Treaty;9. Galvanise global support for UN reform towards the promotion and protection of human rights;10. Assert a strong human rights dimension in the EU’s enlargement and neighbourhood policies.

Delivering on human rights - Amnesty International's ten-point program for the UK Presidency of the European Union can be downloaded from http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maadGL5abie6eciLAxLb/ from 00.01 GMT Tuesday 28 June. Journalists who wish to receive an advance copy should contact the Amnesty International office (see details below).

For further comment/background and interviews:Amnesty International EU Office (Brussels)Tel: 32-2-5021499Fax: 32-2-5025686Email: AmnestyIntl@aieu.beWeb-site: http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maadGL5abie6eciLAxLb/

*****************************************************************You may repost this message onto other sources provided the maintext is not altered in any way and both the header creditingAmnesty International and this footer remain intact. Only thelist subscription message may be removed.*****************************************************************Past and current Amnesty news services can be found at. Visit for information about Amnesty International and for other AIpublications. Contact amnestyis@amnesty.org if you need to getin touch with the International Secretariat of AmnestyInternational.

More Evidence Indicts U.S. - by Dahr Jamail, from his Iraq Dispatches Digest, June 27, 2005

This is another important dispatch from Dahr Jamail, from his Iraq Dispatches Digest, Vol.10, issue 7, June 27, 2005.

More Evidence Indicts U.S.

Inter Press ServiceDahr Jamail

ISTANBUL, Jun 27 (IPS) - New evidence on U.S. war crimes and violationsof international law was presented at the concluding session of theWorld Tribunal on Iraq at hearings in Istanbul Sunday.

The World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI) is a 'peoples' court' set up byacademics, human rights campaigners and non-governmental organisationsto take an independent look at the Iraq record of the United States andother occupying powers such as Britain. The tribunal was inspired by theRussel Tribunal of the Vietnam war days.

The three-day tribunal, the 21st in a series of meetings held over thelast two years, was held against a background of another spurt ofviolence that left 41 people dead in bombings Sunday. The dead includedfour U.S. soldiers, three of them women.

The tribunal says it derives its legitimacy from the fact that a war ofaggression was launched on Iraq "despite the opposition of people andgovernments all over the world." It adds: "However, there is no court orauthority that will judge the acts of the U.S. and its allies. If theofficial authorities fail, then authority derived from universal moralsand human rights principles can speak for the world."

The last sitting took place before a 'jury of conscience' that includedauthor Arundhati Roy and Francois Houtart who participated in theBertrand Russell War Crimes Tribunal on U.S. Crimes in Vietnam. In all54 persons gave testimony on several aspects of the invasion and theoccupation of Iraq.

"The assault on Iraq is an assault on all of us: on our dignity, ourintelligence, and our future," Roy said at the hearings.. "We recognisethat the judgment of the World Tribunal on Iraq is not binding ininternational law. However, our ambitions far surpass that. The WorldTribunal on Iraq places its faith in the consciences of millions ofpeople across the world who do not wish to stand by and watch while thepeople of Iraq are being slaughtered, subjugated, and humiliated."

Denis Halliday, former assistant secretary-general of the United Nationswho resigned in protest against sanctions on Iraq said during histestimony that "the UN silently accepted the totally illegal no-fly zonebombing by the U.S../UK of Iraq culminating in softening up attackspreliminary to the unlawful invasion of 2003."

Halliday said that "by these various means, the UN has itself destroyedthe basic human rights of the Iraqi people through the wilful neglect ofArticles 22-28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UNfailed to protect and safeguard the children and people before and afterthe 2003 invasion."

Thomas Fasy, associate professor of pathology at the Mount Sinai Schoolof Medicine in New York, provided evidence of a seven-fold increase incongenital malformations of Iraqi babies from 1990-2001.

Fasy also testified that childhood cancers and leukemia in childrenbelow five in the Basra governorate increased 26-fold over 1990-2002.

Fadhil Al Bedrani, a BBC and Reuters journalist who was in Fallujahduring the November siege, provided evidence of collective punishment ofcivilians by U.S. forces.

Iraqi women's rights supporter Hana Ibrahim said women suffer 90 percentunemployment, and are often the victims of rape, lawlessness, forcedprostitution and kidnappings.

"From the day that the occupation started in Iraq there was a systematicviolation of women and their rights," she said.

Herbert Docena, researcher with the group 'Focus on the Global South'who has studied Iraq's reconstruction and political transition pointedto the economic and political forces behind the invasion and occupationof Iraq.

"As early as February 2003, the U.S. had finished drafting what the WallStreet Journal called 'sweeping plans to remake Iraq's economy in theUS's image'," Docena said. "Just as the U.S. bombed out and physicallyobliterated almost all of Iraq's ministries, the plan entails the repealof almost all of its current laws and the dismantling of its existinginstitutions, except those that already fit in with the U.S. design."

The jury in its ruling "recognised the right of the Iraqi people toresist the illegal occupation of their country."

It recommended "immediate, unconditional withdrawal of all occupationforces" and called on "the governments of the coalition to pay fullcompensation to Iraqis for any and all damages, and that all laws,contracts, treaties and institutions created under the occupation thatIraqi people deem harmful or un-useful to them be banished."

Other recommendations included immediate investigation of crimes againsthumanity by U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister TonyBlair, and every other president of countries belonging to the coalition.

In addition, the jury called for a process of accountability to bring tojustice journalists and media outlets that lied and promoted theviolence against Iraq, as well as corporations who have profited fromthe war.

An impassioned letter from an Iraqi citizen to the American people is included in this dispatch. Please read on:

June 27, 2005

Wake up Calls

The jury of conscience has just released it's recommendations after theculminating session of the World Tribunal on Iraq came to itsconclusion. I'll post the news story I wrote on this later, which willprovide more details.

I will add now, as a preface to a letter I received just now from anIraqi who asked me to pass it on to the American people, that the jurymade the following recommendations:

"The recommendations made by the jury included the demand for animmediate, unconditional withdraw of all occupation forces, thegovernments of the coalition to pay full compensation to Iraqis for anyand all damages, and that all laws, contracts, treaties and institutionscreated under the occupation that Iraqi people deem harmful or un-usefulto them be banished.

Other recommendations included immediate investigations of crimesagainst humanity for Mr. George Bush, Tony Blair, and every otherpresident of countries belonging to the coalition. In addition, the jurycalled for a process of accountability to begin to bring justice tojournalists and media outlets that lied and promoted the violenceagainst Iraq, as well as including corporations who have profited fromthe war."

Here is the letter from my friend:

>From an Iraqi citizen to the American people:

We always have thought that you are citizens; away from the savagenesswhich controlsmany people in the world because you suffered from the injustice of yourown occupationmore than two hundred and fifty years ago. Therefore, you picked upweapons against the occupiers until you forced him to go out of yourstate which was a great victory for you.

Naturally, this occupier was giving unreasonable justifications for hisstay in your country. Like any occupation, no country ever admit thatthey occupy some land but always says that they are a liberator of thepeople who are then unable to govern themselves and so on.

Such reasons cannot change the origin of occupation.

Nowadays, your army is occupying our homeland, destroying our homes andkilling our men, women, and our children. The occupation is leaving thiscountry full of chaos to the point we are now facing so many disasters,including suffering from looting and robbery.

Sudden attacks and cruel murders have been perpetrated by your army whothen prevent all people from submitting judicial complaints. Thisencourages all soldiers to kill thoughtlessly without any threat of trial.

We have seen our Holy Quran desecrated by soldiers, but you continue tosay your soldiers do not do what the Mogul and Barbarians did in thelands they occupied.

Your soldiers did many immoral acts but your government leaders havedone even more.

We, the Iraqi people, do not put the responsibility of this on yourshoulders because you are a people and not your government. But when thepeople have a decision in the fate of their country and decide to go ina direction which only benefits the government, this means that thepeople are satisfied with their governments' actions.

When you elected Mr. Bush for the second time, this was a declarationfrom you of being satisfied with all his acts in violation of theholiness of a state which shares a place with yours in the UnitedNations Security Council

Has the age of occupation returned back to a place where agreements andtreaties and international laws which forbid aggression are useless?When the people who chose to defend their land and reject the occupierare then described by your government as a terrorist? How long have youheard that an occupation which continues will have no resistance againstit? Do you refer to the patriots of your own country as terrorists inyour history books?

Have you ever heard that there is a peaceful occupation? One that endedin victory for the occupier?

American people, please remember the land of Iraq and remember the Iraqipeople and think of yourselves as if you were in our place. In this wayyou will realize what Iraqis suffer.

I am an Iraqi who bears no grudge against any person all over the world.We simply wish that other people may realize our suffering now,especially the people who do not support their thoughtless governmentsand their aggressive acts. For the people who support these corruptedgovernments will be responsible for them, and history will hold themresponsible for allowing this tragedy to have occurred.

This will be a shame on their ancestors who will not be able to hidethis black page of history.

Thank to the American people for listening attentively, and I am wishingyou reasonableness and the ability to comprehend the truth.

**************************************************************This is unabridged from Iraq Dispatches Digest - Vol.10 issue 7 by Dahr Jamail, Independent Journalist in Iraq, with his permission to re-publish on this site. Look here for more of these important dispatches about the situation in Iraq - as it unfolds, NOT as it is 'hyped', misrepresented, abridged or ignored by the commercial, corporate, mainstream media.

Monday, June 27, 2005

Canada's role in the 'extraordinary rendition' of Mahrer Arar - a Canadian citizen - is more than a heinous human rights and civil liberties violation. It is also the shameful disregard of Canada's professed neutrality and flagrant betrayal of its citizenry, the majority of whom are proponents of human rights and civil liberties. For a detailed update on this tragedy, please read the article from The Washington Post by clicking on the headline above.